About

dhc-handsome-3-683x1024I am a litigation shareholder at Owen Bird Law Corporation located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Before becoming a lawyer I worked in the bar and restaurant industry in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for six years.

I’ve bussed tables, changed kegs, worked the bar and worked the door. It is an industry I know well.

The hospitality business attracts a lot of characters – on both sides of the bar. The atmosphere in most bars and restaurants is fast paced and lively, sometimes crowded, and often noisy.  In British Columbia the laws and policies the govern how alcohol is marketed, sold and consumed change frequently. Despite being heavily regulated, the industry remains dynamic. These elements that make the hospitality industry enjoyable for patrons and staff are often the same elements that cause headaches for owners and management. There is never a dull moment when the service of alcohol is involved.

I have considerable experience dealing with British Columbia’s Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch Enforcement Process and representing licensees at enforcement and reconsideration hearings.

I also regularly advise licensees, and prospective licensees, on compliance and licensing issues and negotiate with the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch on their behalf. My experience includes:

  • obtaining licensing for the manufacture of alcohol (brewery)
  • registering products with the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch (import agent)
  • intellectual property
  • licence sales and transfers
  • insolvencies
  • fund raising (start-ups)

Alcohol & Advocacy is a blog designed to let me share developments in the law, industry news, and opinions with the producer and purveyor community. Nothing published here is intended to be relied on as legal advice.

If you or your business is in need of legal advice, or advocacy before a court or tribunal please contact me directly at 604-691-7526 or at dcoles@owenbird.com